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BITS AND PIECES ABOUT GARDENING IN JUNE
A friend told me last week five dogwoods in his yard leafed out June 14! It's another indication of the severity of last winter.
My theory is that the record setting cold drove some plants into such deep dormancy that it took the rains of early June followed by a week of hot days and warm nights to wake them up. It points to the need for restraint when the pruning urge strikes in May. Better to hold off a month or two until each plants reveals that it's truly done for.
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Every June I get calls from people concerned about the strange bead-like growths on maple leaves. These are bladder galls caused by very small (1/170 inch) insects called eriophyid mites. Mites feed on the undersides of leaves, which causes plant cells around the feeding site to become distorted. An individual bladder gall is about 1/16 - 1/8 inch diameter on the top surface of the leaf. While unsightly, the galls do not threaten the health of the tree. No treatment is recommended.
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By now you're likely well on your way to growing a 950 pound pumpkin and placing first in the Carver/Scott Master Gardener pumpkin growing contest. A word of warning - this is the time to watch closely for squash vine borer. Adult wasp-like moths are 1/2 inch long with an orange and black striped body. The first pair of wings is metallic green and the second pair is clear. Soon after emerging from their cocoons the moths lay eggs at the base of pumpkins and squash that hatch into caterpillars a week later. The young caterpillars bore into the stems and feed for 4 - 6 weeks. First sign of squash vine borer activity is a sudden wilting of plants. Close examination reveals an orange-green sawdust-like material oozing from the stem.
Resistant varieties deter squash vine borer, but if you notice a problem, dust the stems with carbaryl (Sevin) every week through the end of July.
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Did you know that dandelions were brought to this country by southern European immigrants who prized the leaves as pot herbs and salad greens? Dandelion flower heads open in the morning and close at night. Each yellow "petal" is a complete flower with a seed that develops at its base. Each dandelion flower contains 50 or more "petals" and seeds.
The best time to get rid of dandelions is September. If you kill most of them in autumn, they won't survive the winter to bloom next spring. Plants may sprout from seed, but they'll be small and easier to pull or treat than mature plants. Chemical of choice is 2,4-D. Read and follow label directions carefully.
Remember, too, that the best defense against dandelions is a thick, vigorous lawn, so fertilize, water and mow your lawn regularly.
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Speaking of weeds, one reason they're so hard to control is because they're so darn old. Many common weeds have survived for thousands of years. In fact, weeds are among the oldest living organisms and they didn't get that way by being stupid!
A Canadian botanist successfully propagated Arctic lupine from 10,000-year-old seeds that had been frozen in silt in Canada's Yukon Territory. A Michigan scientist mixed the seeds with sand in a milk bottle and buried the bottle, bottle mouth downward, in 1879. Some of the seeds sprouted when planted 100 years later.
My college horticulture professor said a weed is simply a flower out of place, so I guess it's just a matter of how you look at things.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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